186 John Kilgallen command. The full sentence is addressed to a limited audience, even if the Isaian citation leading up to it is addressed, centuries earlier, to the larger group, to “this people” (37). What this Pauline audience is to know is an event expressed as already begun (38), an event, therefore, which does not begin with these Jews’ refusal (39) of Jesus (“this salvation”), nor can they be said to know of this event before Paul’s words in 28,28. Literarily and theologically the moment of Jewish refusal is not, as in 13,46 and 18,6, what leads to a preaching to the Gentiles; preaching to the Gentiles has already begun long before Paul arrives in Rome. The question, then, is ‘of what value is this information to Paul’s audience’? The best answer, one which coincides with the overall context of Luke-Acts, is that knowledge of the preaching of salvation, already underway, from Israel’s God to the Gentiles should spur the present audience to repentance and belief (40). From this perspective, Acts 28,26-28, a speech ordered to repentance and faith, is not a condemnation or abandonment of Jews; it means to lay bare the evil of hearts and eyes and ears closed to the truth, in the hope that one might take stock of oneself and respond positively to the God who promises, “I will heal you” (41). Thus, Theophilus, to whom Gospel and Acts are written, understands not only how it came about that he received the offer of (37) Differently: “…estas palabras de Pablo en v. 25-28 son válidas para todos los judíos y dificilmente se limitan exclusivamente a los de Roma”, M. BENÉITEZ, Esta salvación de Dios (Hech 28,28) (Madrid 1986) 387. (38) Peter’s second Jerusalem speech (Acts 3,11-26) is not only ‘witness’ (in line with Acts 1,8), but is predominantly a speech of exhortation, filled with motives for repentance, not the least of which (in contrast to Peter’s Pentecostal speech) is a way of seeing Jesus’ death as an act brought about kata; a[gnoian (3,17). All that Peter says is aimed here at the urging metanohvsate (3,19). (39) While it is true, as Luke remarks, that oiJ me;n ejpeivqonto toi'" legomevnoi", it also true that Luke cannot here announce the baptism of any of Paul’s hearers; thus, we do not confuse persuasion with belief. Another example of those who hear favorably, but still lack baptism and so fall short of faith, is found in Acts 19,1-7. (40) Cf. J. DUPONT, La Sainte Bible. Les Actes des Apôtres (Paris, 31964) 220: “Paul souhaite que cette docilité des Gentils soit un stimulant pour les Juifs: cf. Rm 10,19; 11,11.14”. (41) We have noted the speech meant to turn hearts to repentance in Acts 3,13- 26. A speech which apparently does not mean to cause conversion is that of Stephen in Acts 7. Even the Pentecostal speech of Peter in Acts 2, though in itself does reveal evil but calls for no conversion, shows its fuller role to persuade in the verses immediately following it: tiv poihvswmen, a[ndre" ajdelfoiv? and the response metanohvsate.